Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing’s Cap and Cape Society gathered this summer for an afternoon of fellowship, reflecting on the scholarship organization’s impact on future nurses.
The Birmingham Baptist Hospital (BBH) School of Nursing joined Samford University in 1973, and the Cap and Cape Society formed shortly after. Since then, the annual gathering has honored Birmingham Baptist Hospital's distinguished history and the nurses who helped shape its legacy.
More than 75 graduates reminisced, reconnected and shared memories of their time in nursing school. The gathering included pieces of the school’s history, featuring tables decorated with Mrs. Ida V. Moffett’s silver and high tea served using her antique china set.
While the gathering celebrated the past, it also highlighted how that legacy continues to support future generations of nurses. Through the Birmingham Baptist Hospital School of Nursing Legacy Scholarship, graduates invest in future nurses while honoring the school’s history.
Gwynnie Hornibrook ’25, the inaugural recipient of the scholarship, is one of those nurses. She shared how the support allowed her to focus more fully on her education and connected her to the generations of nurses who came before her.
“Knowing that this scholarship came from graduates of Birmingham Baptist Hospital School of Nursing made me feel connected to a much larger story—a legacy of compassion, excellence and service that began long before I ever put on my first set of scrubs,” Hornibrook said.
For Hornibrook, the scholarship represented more than financial support. It showed how one generation of nurses supports the next.
“You invested in me before you ever knew where my career would lead, and because of your generosity, I was able to begin that journey with less financial stress and greater confidence,” Hornibrook said.
Hornibrook graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in December 2025 and now serves as a registered nurse in the cardiothoracic ICU at UAB Hospital. Lessons learned at Samford continue shaping her approach to patient care.
“We care for patients during some of the most critical and vulnerable moments of their lives, and while our clinical skills are essential, it is often our compassion and presence that patients remember most,” she said.
The generosity of BBH graduates inspired Hornibrook to consider how she can support those who follow.
“My hope is that one day I will be able to support future nursing students just as you supported me,” she said. “I would love to continue this cycle of generosity so that another student can experience the same encouragement and opportunity that I did.”
GIVE: Support the Birmingham Baptist Hospital School of Nursing Legacy Scholarship
